Into the Fast Lane with Synapse

One of the differences between average users and “power” users is efficiency. Power users are concerned not just with getting a task done but also with getting it done with as little effort as possible in the shortest amount of time. One way that advanced users often speed up their work is with automation. Synapse puts the pedal to the metal a different way: reducing the need to switch between the keyboard and the mouse.

Unless you are using KDE or some type of minimalist desktop, you have a wonderful piece of search technology called Zeitgeist working behind the scenes. Zeitgeist is a framework which works a bit like a butler, observing which files you open and which programs you run most. It does not, however, spy on you or what is in your documents. Instead, Synapse gives you a way to search this information to open a document, run a program, and much more.

Another Contender in the Editor Wars: ne

Talk to most geeks and they will have some sort of answer for the question "What is the best editor for the command line?" For many, it will be either emacs or vi. Those two choices, in my opinion, are a Coke vs. Pepsi sort of debate that will never be resolved. Others will respond with nano. What about those of us who just want to get stuff done with a minimum of fuss? For myself and others, I humbly submit ne, the nice editor.

Reviving Old PCs with Linux Mint MATE

I see a lot of "older" computers. Some of them have crossed my bench of my PC support business, White Horse Computing, Ltd. Others are owned by a private school that I teach at. I am constantly amazed at how well aging PCs can be given a new lease on life just by changing the operating system.

Insync: Cross-Platform Google Drive Goodness

Lately I’ve been getting into Google Apps more and more. The apps, particularly Docs, are lightweight, but as far as my experience has taken me, they are also well-integrated and a generally slick experience. Yes, there are hiccups, but they are the exception, not the rule. If you are looking for a way to better coexist with Microsoft Office users, this is one tool in the toolbox. I digress, however.

Despite Google’s support of Linux in most of its products, an integrated sync client has yet to appear from the Mountain View search giant for its Drive service. Three products are available to take up the vacuum left by Google: grive, google-drive-ocamlfuse, and InSync.

Culture Shock: Changing Operating Systems is Hard

One thing that I hear from some of my technical friends is that their operating system of choice is 'so easy' or 'so much better' over some other one which is trash. I've heard it said that OSes are like religions, but I disagree. I would say that they are like different countries.

How is an OS like one of the nations of the world? Think about it for a moment. If you have ever visited another country, you have noticed that there are both cultural similarities and differences when compared to your own. Culture is a way of life. Even people from countries which have views diametrically opposed to each other can find something in common. For example, we all eat. Family is important. There are times for both work and recreation. The differences lie in the details. Comparing operating systems should be done the same way.

Welcome!

Welcome to Day-to-Day Linux! As an avid Linux user, I will be posting ways to make life easier and better using the open source operating system. It will focus primarily on 3 Debian-based distributions: Linux Mint, Ubuntu, and Debian. Why? Linux Mint is currently one of the most popular right now and the one I use most. Ubuntu is the best supported distribution by corporations which support Linux. Debian is the basis for Ubuntu and is a great general purpose distribution which I use primarily for servers because of its stability and ease-of-use.

The purpose of this blog is to help others, like yourself, to work better using Linux. Those of us who use it instead of Windows or OS X are a small minority and, by working together, we can work and play more easily. You will find links to tools, tricks, and the occasional rant. Enjoy!